Wrong Memory 3: Atlantis Memories
by APhantasm
Summary: Fourteen years have passed since the Battle of Sunnydale. Dawn and Willow are approached to join the Atlantis expedition. Little does Dawn known she has received another set of TV memories from Tom this time of a show called Stargate: Atlantis
1. Chapter 1: Rising

**Summary:** Fourteen years have passed since the Battle of Sunnydale. Dawn and Willow are approached to join the Atlantis expedition. Little does Dawn known she has received another set of TV memories from _Tom _this time of a show called Stargate: Atlantis

**Pairing:** Dawn/Willow

**A/U:** Set in my Wrong Memory Verse, if you've not read the first one you might want to so as to know a couple small details.

**Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon owns Buffy. MGM owns Stargate

* * *

**Chapter 1: Rising**

"Greetings, Dr. Summers," General O'Neill said.

Dawn smiled; it had been fifteen years since Sunnydale had disappeared from the face of the Earth. She had gone on to get her Ph.D., which was why she was there that day being interviewed for a position on a scientific expedition.

"Hello, General," Dawn said as she sat across from the man.

"We've gone over your requirements and my people are impressed, especially Doctor Jackson," O'Neill said. "What makes you think you have the expertise to join this expedition?"

Dawn smirked. "Well. Why don't I show you?" She pictured the gate to the base clearly in her mind as she opened a portal and stepped through it. She noted the startled guard's reaction. "You might want to inform General O'Neill that his guest is here."

The guard nodded as he picked up the phone. "Yes, inform the General his guest is at the gate again."

~Willow~ Dawn telepathically projected toward her lover.

~I'm here, Dawn, waiting on your go ahead.~ Willow replied.

In the years they had been together the bond that Dawn and Willow shared had strengthened to the point that their understanding of the Key allowed them to talk to each other as well as others telepathically.

"Uh, he says if you can return the same way," the guard said. "It would be appreciated."

Dawn nodded. "Thank you." She pictured the general's office and opened a portal. She stepped through it to face General O'Neill.

"How did you do that?" O'Neill asked.

Dawn smiled. "Simple, magic. I'm far older than I look."

Giles and Willow had done a lot of research into the Key. They found references all the way back to ancient Sumerian culture. In fact they had found references that the Key may have been made by the Sumerian goddess Inanna or in fact was the goddess Inanna herself. Either way the Key was far older than they had believed though not as old as what Glory had alluded to.

Jack looked at Dawn skeptical at her explanation of how she had managed to disappear from his office. "Magic hunh? And according to my records your thirty two years old, but you don't look a day over twenty-two."

"Yes, magic," Dawn said. "And about my age. Both me and my wife, Willow, stopped aging when we were twenty two, or more slowed way down. Aren't really sure why though. For me that was ten years ago. For Will, that was sixteen years ago."

"Sure," O'Neill said. "Can you provide further proof of this magic?"

~Will, now.~ Dawn thought as she smirked at the General.

A portal snapped into existence and Willow stepped out of it.

"This is my wife, Willow Rosenberg-Summers. By the way may name is Dawn Rosenberg-Summers, not Dawn Summers," Dawn said.

O'Neill had seen several strange things in his time as part of SG-1. And it made him wonder if the two women in front of him might not be somehow related to the Ancients. It would explain their ability, since the Ancients, when alive, had been more advanced than human beings were and had physical powers that some might have been attributed to magic. "While I do not believe in magic, I do have experience with the unusual. And can have my people give you another theory on the origins of your powers. But that will come with clearance and signing an NDA."

"We already have clearance and don't need the NDA," Willow said. "In fact we have diplomatic status and high level clearance in pretty much every nation of the world as part of the work we've done in the past. Give the President a call. He will know of us. We already know about the Stargate program, our clearance runs higher than yours."

"A higher clearance than mine," O'Neill said and then he laughed.

"Uh, sir," Carter said as she walked through the door and handed O'Neill a file. "They do have a higher clearance than yours."

O'Neill flipped through the file and frowned. "Everything in this file is redacted."

"Yes, sir," Carter said. "At first I thought that was because it was a copy I requested for Mrs. Rosenberg-Summers," she indicated Willow, "and that I wasn't cleared for. But it's not. I contacted the Pentagon and they informed me that both Dawn Rosenberg-Summers and Willow Rosenberg-Summers along with several people in their organization have a clearance that is only superseded by the Pentagon and the President himself. They told me to tell you that you are not cleared for what is in their files, and to offer them a position on the expedition."

O'Neill sighed and nodded. "Well?" he asked looking at Dawn and Willow. "It looks like my hands are tied."

"Is the offer for both of us?" Dawn asked. "I won't go without Willow."

O'Neill looked to Sam who nodded. "Yeah, it's for both of you."

Over the course of the next three weeks Dr. Jackson learned that Dawn was on the expedition and had a Ph.D. in Ancient Languages and Mythology and that she spoke five languages fluently and could read and write several dead languages. If she wasn't going to Atlantis he would have asked O'Neill to hire her for the SGC. But since she was he taught her the Ancient's language.

Willow had spent the three weeks in Carter's lab learning about the technologies that the SGC had brought back. Some, like the zats, she thought could be useful to Buffy, Faith and the ISC.

Dawn smiled as she talked into the phone. "Yeah, Buffy were getting ready to ship out."

"How long do you think you will be gone?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Dawn said. "Depends on how long it takes us to find a power source that can power the Stargate to get us back. Willow and I are not going to try and open a portal to Earth till we know for sure that we can do it to other planets in Pegasus."

"Good thinking," Buffy said. "You and Willow take care."

Dawn smiled. "You and Faith take care also. And you tell my niece that I miss her" she said as she thought back on the last seven years. When Buffy and Faith had decided to become parents, Buffy had been artificially inseminated. The result had been her niece. Joyce Dawn Summers-Lehane.

"Joyce misses you, she asked when you were coming home," Buffy said.

"Tell her I will be there as soon as I can," Dawn said.

~Dawn, they're ready.~ Willow telepathically projected.

"Well I have to go," Dawn said. "Willow just told me their ready to try and dial Atlantis."

"Good luck," Buffy said. "I miss you already, you know."

"I know," Dawn said. "I miss you, too."

Five minutes later Dawn followed Major Sheppard into the Gate Room and walked over to Willow and smiled as the two kissed. They could tell that everyone's eyes had gone to them and inwardly their smile went larger.

"Colonel," Sheppard said.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Weir said as Dawn and Willow turned with everyone else to face the leader of the expedition. "All right, here we go. We're about to try to make a connection. We have been unable to predict exactly how much power this is going to take, and we may only get the one chance at this. So if we're able to achieve a stable wormhole, we're not going to risk shutting the 'gate down. We'll send in the MALP robot probe, check for viability, and go. Everything in one shot. Now, every one of you volunteered for this mission, and you represent over a dozen countries," she looked at Dawn and Willow, "and even one international organization. You are the world's best and brightest. And in light of the adventure we are about to embark on, you're also the bravest. I hope we all return one day having discovered a whole new realm for humanity to explore. But as all of you know, we may never be able to return home. I'd like to offer you all one last chance to withdraw your participation."

Dawn looked to Willow and they nodded. They knew that the possibility they could not get home through the Stargate. They also knew that there was a possibility they might not be able to open a portal from that great a distance. Still they had chosen to go.

"Begin the dialing sequence," Weir said as she stepped off the ramp and moved over next to Willow and Dawn. "Ms. Rosenberg-Summers and Ms. Rosenberg-Summers."

"Please," Dawn said. "Call me Dawn and my wife, Willow. If you keep referring to us by our last name it will get confusing."

"Agreed," Weir said as the Stargate began to dial. "Why don't you follow me? Get a firsthand look at the dialing sequence?"

Dawn and Willow nodded as they followed Weir out of the Gate Room and into the Control Room.

"Chevron Three encoded." said a technician.

"Nice," O'Neill said.

Weir smiled. "Thank you. I believe you know Dawn and Willow."

"Chevron Four encoded."

"Their introduction is ingrained in my brain," O'Neill said. "If you can't get home they might be able to."

"I know," Weir said. "Remember you briefed me on their ability to open a portal to other locations."

"Chevron Five encoded," the technician said as McKay rushed in. "Chevron Six encoded."

"This is it," Weir said excited.

McKay nodded. "Yeah."

"Seriously, Doctor, calm down. You're embarrassing me," Weir said teasingly, giving a wink to Dawn and Willow, both of whom laughed.

"I've never been so excited in my entire life," McKay said.

"Chevron Eight is locked," the technician said as the wormhole activated.

"Wow," Willow said.

O'Neill squelched a pleased smile.

"Send the MALP." Weir said as the technician sent a command code and the MALP entered the Stargate. A dark image appeared on the monitor.

"We have MALP telemetry," the technician said.

"What is it we're looking at?" Dawn asked as McKay joined the technician at the controls.

"Switching to zero locks," the technician said.

"The radar indicates … a large room?" McKay said.

"Structurally intact?" Dr. Jackson said, incredulous.

McKay looked over the console. "Environmental sensors say there's oxygen, no measurable toxins. We have viable life support. It looks like we're not getting out of this." He smiled and headed out the door for the Gate Room.

Weir smiled and turned to O'Neill.

"Dr. Weir, you have a go," O'Neill said.

Weir nodded. "Thank you … sir." She turned and led Dawn and Willow back to the Gate Room just as Sumner and an initial team head up the ramp.

"Let's go, people," Sumner shouted. "We don't know how much power we've got. Security teams One and Two, you're up first. All other personnel will follow on our signal. Once on the other side, keep moving, clear the debarkation area. On my lead …"

"Hold on, Colonel!" Weir said as she snagged her pack and then motioned toward Willow and Dawn. "We go through together."

Sumner looked to Weir and understood why she would go through with him. She was technically his superior as this was her expedition. But Dawn and Willow, he didn't understand. But as it was her order he grudging agreed. "Fair enough."

Sumner readied his weapon and led his team through. Weir paused a moment and looked back at O'Neill and Daniel in the Gate Room. She nodded a farewell, and then stepped through the Stargate.

"Ready?" Willow asked.

Dawn nodded as they took each other's hands and walked through the event horizon. As they exited on the other side they noted how dark the room was.

"Dawn, Willow?" Weir said.

Dawn closed her eyes as magical energy began to crackle around her and then she shook her head. "I can sense no one else here. Will?"

Willow nodded in agreement. "Neither can I."

Sumner glared at Dawn and Willow. "Witches," he muttered under his breath as Sheppard came out of the wormhole. "Teams One and Two, secure the immediate area." He headed toward a door, which opened automatically at his approach. He turned back to the people exiting the wormhole. "Everyone else, find an open space and park it until instructed otherwise."

Dawn looked around and noticed the steps lighting up as Sheppard and McKay start to walk up them.

"Who's doing that?" Weir asked indicating the lights.

"Security teams, any alien contact?" Sumner said over the radio.

"Negative, sir."

"Team Four, negative, Colonel."

At the top of the stairwell, Sheppard headed toward what appeared to be a control room, as the lights continued to activate.

"The lights are coming on by themselves," Sheppard said.

Suddenly Dawn reeled back and Willow immediately grabbed a hold of her to steady her. "Dawn?" Willow asked.

"Memory," Dawn said.

~Another TV show from Tom's reality?~

Dawn nodded. ~Yes. The images are fleeting, just like they were when I first woke up all those years ago thinking I was him. Which is understandable. From my point of view it would have been eighteen years since I would have seen the television show.~

~For now let's keep this to ourselves,~ Willow said.

~Agreed,~ Dawn said.

"That's everyone," Sumner said as the last of the expedition came out of the Stargate.

"General O'Neill? Atlantis base offers greetings from the Pegasus Galaxy. You may cut power to the Gate," Weir said into the radio as a bottle of champagne rolled out of the Stargate as the wormhole deactivated. She leaned down to pick it up.

Thirty minutes later Dawn and Willow were helping Sheppard and McKay uncover the consoles in what looked to be the control room.

As Dawn walked by a monitor it lit up. "I didn't touch anything," she said.

"Relax, Dawn. It's like the entire complex is sensing our presence and coming to life," Weir said as she entered the room.

"This has got to be the control room," McKay said as he moved over to what looked like a DHD. "This is obviously their version of a DHD."

"Oh, obviously," Sheppard said, sarcastically.

"This area could be power control systems, possibly a computer interface—" McKay said as he moved to another console.

"Hey, hey. Why don't you find out?" Weir said.

McKay nodded. "Right."

"Dr. Weir, Colonel Sumner. Could you come down and meet me, please? We're three levels down from you," Sumner said over the radio.

"Right away," Weir said as she looked to Dawn and Willow.

"I guess everyone else will find out eventually," Dawn said. "Plus this would be a good test to make sure it's not something native to Earth that gives us the power to do is."

"Do what?" McKay and Sheppard asked.

Dawn smiled as she pictured Sumner in her mind and opened a portal. "Dr. Weir?"

Weir smiled at the look on McKay and Sheppard's faces. "Call me Elizabeth, Dawn."

"Elizabeth," Dawn said.

"Come along, Major," Weir said as she, Dawn and Sheppard stepped through the portal to stand in front of Sumner.

Sumner glared at Dawn. "Witches," he muttered. He then looked to Weir and nodded. "We've only been able to secure a fraction of the place. It's huge."

"So it might really be the lost city of Atlantis?" Weir asked.

"I'd say that's a good bet," Sumner said as he led them to a glass door.

"Oh … My … Goddess," Dawn said as she looked out the glass door at the sea. She looked upwards to see sunlight peeking through the waves above them. ~Willow, you have to see this.~

~Show me, Dawn,~ Willow replied and Dawn sent a mental image to her. ~Wow.~

"We're underwater," Weir said.

Sumner nodded. "I'd say we're under several hundred feet of ocean. If we can't dial out, this could be a problem."

"Colonel, Dr. Weir—" McKay said as he came jogging up.

"We're underwater," Sheppard said, excitedly.

McKay nodded. "Yes, I was just coming to tell you. Fortunately, there's some sort of a force field holding back the water," he said as he looked outside. "Oh, that is impressive, isn't it? Uh, Dr. Beckett has found something you should, uh, see," he turned and led them down the corridor and into another part of the city nearby.

They find holographic Ancient woman speaking on a platform as Beckett stood at the console.

"… in the hope of spreading new life in a galaxy where there appeared to be none. Soon, the new life grew and prospered. Here …"

"It's a hologram. The recording loops. This is my second time through," Beckett said, excitedly.

"What have we missed?" Sumner asked.

"Not much," Beckett replied.

"… exchange knowledge and friendship. In time, a thousand worlds bore the fruit of life in this form. Then one day, our people set foot upon a dark world where a terrible enemy slept."

Over the holograms head an image of the galaxy with individual star systems appear.

"Never before had we encountered beings with powers that rivaled our own. In our overconfidence, we were unprepared and outnumbered. The enemy fed upon the defenseless human worlds like a great scourge, until finally, only Atlantis remained."

The stars turned red to show the spread of the terrible enemy throughout the galaxy.

"This city's great shield was powerful enough to withstand their terrible weapons, but here we were besieged for many years. In an effort to save the last of our kind, we submerged our great city into the ocean. The Atlantis Stargate was the one and only link back to Earth from this galaxy, and those who remained used it to return to that world that was once home. There, the last survivors of Atlantis lived out the remainder of their lives. This city was left to slumber, in the hope that our kind would one day return."

The hologram stopped speaking and Beckett stepped away from the console as she disappeared.

"Huh. So the story of Atlantis is true. A great city that sank in the ocean," McKay said.

Beckett nodded. "It just didn't happen on Earth."

Dawn nodded. "The Ancient Greeks must have heard it from one of the surviving Ancients."

"I don't like the fact they got their asses kicked," Sumner said as Grodin entered and whispered to McKay.

Beckett stepped up to the console, activating the hologram. "Let's see again from the beginning."

"Stop. Turn it off," McKay said nervously as Beckett stepped back. "Power levels throughout the city are dropping like a stone."

"What does that mean?" Sumner asked.

"That if we don't stop everything we're doing right now, we are dead," McKay said as he hurried out with Grodin.

~Willow, stop whatever you're doing. Get everyone back to the gate. We may have to try and open a portal back to Earth," Dawn said as she followed everyone out of the hologram room.

~Why?~ Willow replied. ~Did you have another flash of memory?~

~No,~ Dawn said. ~Grodin just told McKay that the city is losing power.~

After everyone was gone a woman appeared in the room and looked toward the door. "Inanna has returned to Atlantis."

"Yes," said a man who appeared. "And the memories she has been given by the Powers could change the course of events."

Later everyone is back in the control room as McKay worked on his computer.

"Please tell me this is not my fault," Beckett said, nervously.

McKay rolled his eyes. "No."

"Thank you," Beckett said.

"From what we've been able to ascertain, the city is powered by three Zero-Point Modules. Two are entirely depleted, and the third is reaching maximum entropy. When it does, it will die too, and nothing can reverse that," McKay said.

Dawn looked to Willow who closed her eyes and magical energy began to crackle around Willow.

Willow sighed and nodded. "What he is saying is correct. Now that everything is coming online, I can feel the depletion of the power of Atlantis."

Sumner sighed. While he hated witches, at times they were useful; in this instance having a second opinion at least confirmed what was happening. "Just tell me the bottom line."

"The force field holding back the ocean has collapsed to its minimum sustainable levels. Look, you can see here and here where the shield's already failed and the cities flooded. It could've happened years ago. But … This section is likely more protected because of the Stargate," McKay said.

"What if it fails completely?" Sheppard asked.

"Not if, when. And then the remainder of the city that the shield is protecting will flood," Willow said. "Drowning every single one of us."

Weir looked at Sumner. "Colonel Sumner, you need to order your security teams to stop searching the city immediately."

"All security teams, fall back to the gate room," Sumner called into his radio.

McKay sighed. "That's not going to be good enough."

"All right, well, how much time do we have?" Weir asked.

McKay shook his head. "It's hard to say. Hours, maybe days, if we minimize power expenditure."

"What about our own power generators?" Beckett asked.

"We're working on that, but even with our most advanced, naquadah-powered generators, the equations are coming up far short," McKay said.

"Dawn, Willow can you get us home?" Weir asked.

"We haven't tried," Dawn said.

"Do what you need to prepare," Weir said. "In the meantime, we need to find more ZPMs."

"How do we do that if we can't search the city?" Sumner asked.

"If there were more here, we'd be able to detect them," McKay said.

Sumner nodded. "Can we use the Stargate?"

McKay looked to Dawn and Willow. After what he had seen earlier, their only chance to get home likely would rest with them. But even they weren't sure if it was possible. "At this moment the only way back to Earth may be Dawn and Willow," he said. "There's nowhere near enough power for the Stargate to open a wormhole back to Earth."

Dawn and Willow turned and left the control room and headed into the office that Weir had set aside for herself. "This probably won't work. You know that," Dawn said.

Willow nodded. "I know. But what else are we going to do?"

Willow and Dawn sat in the middle of the floor and tuned out the rest of the world as they began to meditate, reaching deep into themselves.

Five hours later Weir stood at the door watching as Grodin walked up. "How long have they been like that?"

"Since before Colonel Sumners, Major Sheppard and their team left," Weir said. "I know nothing about magic. So I haven't the foggiest what they are doing."

Dawn's eyes snapped open as a memory flashed before her eyes.

"Dawn?" Willow said as she opened her eyes.

"Memory," Dawn said. She looked to Weir. "Dial the gate, get them back, now!"

"Why?" Weir asked.

"They are about to be attacked, by the Wraith," Dawn said.

"How do you know that?" Weir asked.

Dawn sighed. "It's a very long and very complicated story."

"Well explain it to me, then," Weir said.

"Eighteen years ago," Dawn said. "I didn't exist. I was created through magic to hide something called the Key. In my creation something went wrong or maybe the Powers, a group of Ascended beings like the Ancients, did something. I was given memories of someone from another reality. A reality where my family and friends lives were one of a TV show. Using those memories I was able to make changes, and give everyone I love a happily ever after. Including Willow here."

Weir was obviously skeptical. But she had seen enough, with Dawn's teleportation portal, to be open minded. "What does that have to do with the team that is out and this Wraith?"

"It seems my life, my friends lives were not the only TV show I was given memories of. I was given the memories of another TV show called Stargate: Atlantis," Dawn said. "I just had a flash of one of those memories and it said these Wraith were going to come to the world they are on and take some of our people away."

Weir looked at Dawn and thought about it. She remembered a report she had read at the SGC how Jonas Quinn had because of a tumor become precognitive. It was possible something like that was happening here. Either way she would have to have Dawn checked out. Still the problem was without further information she could make the situation worse. She turned and walked into the control room, followed by Dawn and Willow. "Tell me some good news, Rodney."

McKay shook his head. "I can't do that."

"The shield has held back the ocean for centuries," Weir said.

McKay nodded. "And probably would've kept going for years more, but our arrival changed that. Now it's nothing more than a thin shell between the buildings and the water."

"We stopped exploring," Weir said.

"I'm pretty sure," Willow said. "The damage had already done."

McKay nodded in agreement. "Ms. Rosenberg-Summers is correct. The damage had already been done. Another section of the city, on the far side, was flooded an hour or so ago."

"Even occupying this room is draining power," Grodin said.

"We need to evacuate the moment Colonel Sumner reports back it's safe," McKay said.

"You're saying we have to abandon the city?" Weir asked as they heard creaking noises.

"The sooner we leave, the longer that shield holds," McKay said.

Weir sighed. "Do we have enough power to dial the gate again to contact Colonel Sumner?"

"If all you want to do is contact him, then no," McKay said. "Any power we use shortens the time the shield will hold. It's better if we hold off dialing out till were ready to leave, the sooner the better."

"They'll be captured," Dawn said.

"Dawn, while I will agree that what you believe you saw may come to pass. Without knowing more I just can't risk the lives here. If you have another flash, you let me know immediately," Weir said.

Hours later Grodin stood by a window looking at the city, holding a scanner as Weir and Dawn approached. "Here it comes."

"What are we looking for?" Weir asked as a part of the city glowed for a moment with a strange clunking noise, and bubbles erupted.

"There," Grodin said. "Another part of the force field just failed. I don't think we have much time."

Weir sighed nervously.

"I don't think we have much choice now," Dawn said.

Weir nodded as they walked back into the control room. "How are we doing? If we can just buy ourselves another day, maybe we could—"

"The city is sacrificing parts of itself in order to maintain these main areas, but catastrophic failure is inevitable," McKay said.

"Not in my wildest dreams did I hope to find the lost city of the Ancients so completely untouched, so pristine, and we have no choice but to walk away from this?" Weir said.

Dawn sighed. "Let me and Willow try and open a portal back to Earth. If it doesn't work we're going to have to find someplace else to go. Regardless of what I saw."

Weir nodded. "Try it."

Dawn turned and looked at Willow and they walked into Weir's office. They concentrated drawing on the energy of the Key to open a portal.

At the International Slayer's Council on Earth, Buffy sat with Faith as they watched Joyce play when a portal flickered for a brief moment and then vanished.

"Was that?" Faith said.

"One of Dawn or Willow's portals," Buffy said. "They must be trying to open a portal from where they are."

"Is there anything we can do from our end to help?" Faith asked.

Buffy shook her head. "No. Remember the Key is a part of them. No which on Earth has access to it as long as it resides in them. Even if a witch here could access it. They don't have the power, only Willow and Dawn do."

The portal flashed into existence again.

"Dawn!" Buffy yelled. "It's not working. It's only staying open for a second or two. "

"We know," Dawn yelled back. "Contact General O'Neill, tell him the city was submerged and the shield is collapsing. We may have to abandon it and with it our means of returning home."

"I will," Buffy said. "Stay safe!"

And then the portal closed again.

On Atlantis Dawn sighed and looked to Willow. "At least we got a message through."

"You got a message?" Weir said as she entered her office.

"Yeah," Willow said. "Dawn told her sister to contact General O'Neill and let him know what happened here."

Weir sighed. "That's good. At least they know. I notified the rest of the expedition that were evacuating. Dr. McKay is dialing the gate now."

"We've got an incoming wormhole," McKay called into his radio as Weir, Dawn and Willow walked into the control room just as the shield activated.

"I'm reading Lieutenant Ford's identification code," Grodin said.

"Let 'em in," Weir said with a glance at Dawn. Now she would find out if Dawn had been telling the truth. She turned back to look at the Stargate as Sheppard led a group of people through and started to herd them in the 'Gate Room.

"Step in, folks. Move away from the puddle," Sheppard said as Weir, Dawn and Willow hurried down the staircase.

"Major Sheppard! Major Sheppard, who are these people?" Weir asked.

"Survivors from the settlement. We were attacked. Sumner and some of our men were taken," Sheppard said.

"I told you," Dawn said as Weir sighed.

So far it looked like Dawn had been correct.

"What's going on?" Sheppard asked as he stared around at the shaking city.

Weir pulled Sheppard away from the refugees. "We are in no position to help anyone right now."

"What the hell's going on here?" Sheppard asked.

"We were about to abandon the city," Weir said.

"What about them?" Sheppard asked as he nodded toward Willow and Dawn. "Because going back there is a really bad idea."

"We tried to open a portal back to Earth," Dawn said. "We managed it only long enough to get a message through. The distance is too great. We need to be able to draw from the earth. The levels we need to open a stable portal to earth would require probably drawing power from the earth for months, maybe even years. And that is assuming that we don't use any magic during that time."

Weir sighed. "Also the shield is about to fail, and the ocean is about to come crashing in on us. Since Dawn and Willow do not have a way for us to return home. We need someplace else. Do you have a better place for us to go?"

Sheppard nodded and turned to a small boy. "Jinto, you have any other address we can gate to?"

"Yes, many," Jinto said.

"He's just a boy," Weir said.

Jinto smiled. "I am Jinto."

Sheppard grabbed Jinto by the arm and herded him up to the control room. "They're pleased to meet you."

"The shield is collapsing!" McKay said as the city shook free of the ocean bottom. It than began to slowly rise as Grodin headed to the city's DHD.

"I'm dialing an address," Grodin said.

"No, wait," Willow said as her magical senses told her what was happening, that the city was rising from the depths of the ocean.

"We're moving!" Sheppard said as the city broke through the surface.

Daylight streamed through the windows as the city continued to reach for the sky. Systems again turn on as Dawn, Willow, Sheppard, Jinto, Weir, McKay, Grodin, and Ford moved to a window. They watch as the lower portions of the city broke through the surface.

"We're on the surface," Ford said.

"I was hoping for another day. It looks like we just got a whole lot more than that. Let's not waste it," Weir said.

Sheppard smiled and nodded.

McKay turned and looked at a console. "The last Zero-Point Module is depleted, but limited power has returned now that our own generators aren't going to hold back an ocean. Life support systems are working, but the planet's atmosphere is breathable, well, notwithstanding the inevitable allergens."

"So now could our naquadah generator supply enough power to the shield for defensive purposes?" Weir asked.

McKay shook his head. "Not even close."

"On the surface without a shield? We're target practice," Sheppard said.

"We can't promise anything," Willow said. "But we'll try and see about a shield."

"Are you sure it would work," Weir asked. "You were after all unable to get anything other than a message to Earth through the portal."

"Hopefully a shield would require less magical energies," Willow said. "We'll have to test it out and see of course. That's why we can't promise anything."

Weir nodded.

"That's settled. Can someone tell me where the Wraith took Colonel Sumner and the others?" Sheppard asked.

"Even with the six symbols Lieutenant Ford provided there are still hundreds of permutations—" McKay said.

"720," Sheppard interrupted.

"Yes. I knew that, of course. I'm just surprised you did," McKay said, nonplussed.

"Take away the coordinates you can't get a lock on, and that's your one, and when you find it, send a MALP," Sheppard said.

"Major? A word," Weir said as he, Dawn and Willow followed her to the back of the control room.

As they neared what they thought was a window, a door to a balcony opened, surprising them all and they cautiously step outside.

"Wow," Willow said, marveling at the sight of the city.

"Let me guess. You're not going to let me rescue my people," Sheppard said as he looked at Weir.

Weir looked to Dawn. "Do you …?"

"Sorry," Dawn said. "I haven't seen anything else yet. I don't know."

Weir nodded and looked at Sheppard. "Major, you don't even know if they're alive."

"You don't leave people in the hands of the enemy," Sheppard said. "And the fact that we are having this conversation in semi-privacy lets me knows that you know damn well that it's wrong and it will totally undermine your leadership. So as ranking military officer—"

"All right, just shut up and listen to me for a moment, all right? Come on, what do we know about the Wraith? One of the few things we do know is that they are the enemy that defeated the Ancients. When we first began to use the Stargate we found on Earth, we got ourselves into serious trouble. Why?" Weir said.

Sheppard sighed. "I don't need a history lesson."

"Because the people in charge didn't consider the ramifications before they reacted," Weir said.

"They took our people. How am I supposed to react?" Sheppard said.

"And unless Dawn and Willow can get a shield in place, we are defenseless!" Weir said. "How do you know going off on some half-assed rescue mission isn't going to bring them all right back here to our doorstep?"

"Maybe it will … but it's the right thing to do. Why? Because it is," Sheppard said.

Weir sighed. "John—"

"If we're not going to do this, and I mean right now, let's just turn tail and pack up, because they're coming," Sheppard said.

"You don't know that," Weir said.

"He's right there. I know that much," Dawn said.

"Also, our people are in the hands of the enemy, Doctor. Do you know what that means? It is just a matter of time before the Wraith figure out that this is the base of our operation," Sheppard said.

"I just need more information. I mean, who knows? Maybe we could negotiate a peaceful—" Weir said.

"No," Dawn said. "There will be no peaceful ending to this." Suddenly she had another flash of Colonel Sumner being sucked dry of his life force by a Wraith. "To them we are only food."

"Food?" Willow asked.

Dawn nodded. "They are this galaxies version of vampires, literally."

"Vampires?" Willow said as Dawn nodded. "Great. And us with only one Slayer."

"I know," Dawn said.

Weir sighed. Regardless if she believed the file she had read on Dawn and Willow's background. About how their friends and family had been fighting a nightly war for years against the forces of darkness. One thing she did know was … "Is it possible they came because of you?" she asked Sheppard. "And that one of these people you brought back here with you tipped them off?"

"It's possible," Sheppard said dismissively.

"See, that is exactly the kind of snap decision I'm referring to," Weir said.

Sheppard shook his head. "They're not all bad people, and you know, if we're going to stick around here, we need friends."

Weir nodded. "Okay, I see your point. Now, you see mine. I will not authorize a rescue mission unless I am sure there's at least a remote chance of success. I'm not sending more good people, including you, to their deaths."

"Okay," Sheppard said as he left.

"Let me guess your vampire analogy was because of a vision?" Weir asked.

Dawn nodded. "Yes. I saw Colonel Sumner being killed. His life force being sucked out of him by the Wraith."

Later in the Gate Room; Willow, Dawn, Weir and McKay study a monitor display that showed only darkness.

"We're receiving visual telemetry," Willow said from where she sat at the console.

"I can't see anything," Weir said.

"No atmospheric readings at all," McKay said.

Sheppard and Grodin watched another monitor as they spot a small round point of dim light before it quickly rotated offscreen.

"Hey, what was that?" Sheppard asked.

"Rotate the camera," Dawn said as Willow nodded.

The camera rotated as it showed rocks floating in space and rings surrounding a planet. Then it rotated to show the Stargate floating in orbit above the planet, the wormhole still active.

"Well, there goes that MALP," McKay scoffed.

Sheppard nodded. "It's in space."

"It's in high orbit around a planet on the far side of the galaxy," McKay said.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" Weir asked.

"It's the only one we could get a lock on," Willow said.

Weir sighed as she looked at Willow and Dawn. "Could you open a portal to that planet?"

Dawn shook her head. "Not without knowing where we were going. To be able to open a portal we have to mentally picture who it is we are traveling to or even where were going. If we were on Earth I could take you to Cleveland or the Sunnydale crater or even the ISC headquarters as their all places I've been and can picture in my mind."

"I understand, without being able to visualize it, there is no way to get there. Willow, shut it down," Weir said as she looked toward Sheppard. "I'm sorry."

Dawn suddenly smiled as a memory flashed before her eyes. "We have a way."

"What?" Weir asked.

"Ancient ships," Dawn said. "There is a bay above us full of them. They were designed to fit through the gate. It also has a cloaking device. It would give us a tactical advantage."

Weir nodded. "All right, so assuming someone can fly one of them. It doesn't mean Major Sheppard can pull off a rescue."

Willow smiled. "With two powerful witches. One of which happens to be a seer, who can see the future. We have the advantage."

Weir sighed. "Alright, you have a go."

Later Dawn sat in the pilot's seat of one of the Ancient ships. They had tested her and Willow and it seemed that they had the best concentration of the Ancient gene to be able to pilot it.

Ford stepped between Willow and Dawn and spoke into his radio. "Gateship One ready to go."

"_Gateship One_?" Sheppard said from beside Ford. "A little puddle jumper like this?"

"It's a ship that goes through the 'gate—Gateship One," Ford said as Willow and Dawn rolled their eyes.

"Oh, no, no, no, that's all wrong," Sheppard said.

"Dr. McKay thought it was cool," Ford said.

"Oh, okay, well, it's official…You don't get to name anything, ever," Sheppard said.

"Flight," Dawn said into her radio. "We're go to launch."

"And it's going to be Puddle Jumper, McKay," Sheppard called out.

"Just go with it," Willow said. "We don't have time to argue about a stupid name."

"Uh…fine," McKay said. "Puddle Jumper, you are clear for launch."

"Dial it up," Sheppard said.

Willow leaned forward and dialed the jumper's DHD as the Stargate activated.

Dawn flew the jumper into the wormhole and exited into deep space.

"Wow. This is cool," Willow said. She looked over at Dawn. "It looks like you've got the hang of it."

Dawn smiled. "It flies like a dream. But something has been nagging me at the back of my mind. It also seems so familiar."

Just then a display appeared superimposed on the windshield in front of them, displaying lots of data.

"Did you do that?" Ford asked nervously.

"I believe so," Dawn said. "I wanted information on where we go. And the display appeared with information to make that determination."

"Okay, so how do we find them once we land?" Ford asked.

"Well, I've been thinking about that," Sheppard said as a small hand held device popped out of the wall next to Willow.

Willow pulled out the device and looked it over. "Interesting. I think this might be some kind of lifesigns detector. It's showing everyone here with us."

Dawn landed the jumper in the woods near some kind of building on the planet.

"Lock and load," Ford said as everyone exited the jumper.

Dawn grabbed the scythe and slid it into her back holster. She smiled briefly as she remembered when Buffy had given it to her.

_"Who knows what kind of demons or vampires you might face in another galaxy."_ Buffy had told her. _"Just make sure I get it back in one piece."_

"All right, teams of two. Learn what you can and lay down your defenses as you see fit. I want to be able to light this place up if we have to," Sheppard said as he turned to Stackhouse. "Two clicks, you're clear to talk."

Stackhouse nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Do not engage the enemy," Sheppard said as he tapped Ford on the shoulder. "You're with me."

"Willow and I are coming with you also," Dawn said as Sheppard looked to her. "I have this nagging feeling that you will need us."

She, Sheppard, Willow and Ford made their way into the building and down a passage. They quickly hid as one of the Wraith moved past them.

"I thought getting in was going to be the hard part. That's the first one we've seen," Ford said as he set some C-4 into the wall and primed it when the coast was clear.

Willow studied the handheld device she took from the jumper. "This is showing only us and him."

They proceeded down a corridor and up to what looked like a Wraith cell.

"Major?" Teyla asked.

"Shh. Are you all right?" Sheppard said.

"How did you find us?" Teyla asked.

"Is my son alive?" Halling asked.

Sheppard nodded. "He's well and waiting for you," he said as he looked at who was in the cell. "Where's Colonel Sumner?"

"He was taken by the Wraith," Bates said.

"We don't know where," Teyla said.

"He is being fed on," Dawn said as everyone looked at her.

"Can you take us to him?" Sheppard asked.

"Yes," Dawn said. "I would need only picture him in my mind to open a portal. But the problem is that would reveal us to the Wraith."

Sheppard sighed as he clicked his radio twice.

"This is Stackhouse. Go ahead, sir," said Stackhouse over the radio.

"How about a diversion in a little bit?" Sheppard asked. "You're going to need to make some noise out there."

"Yes, sir."

Sheppard looked to Dawn and Willow. "Can you two portal them back to the jumper?"

"Yes," Dawn and Willow said.

Sheppard looked to Ford, Dawn and Willow. "You three get them back to the jumper."

Willow handed Dawn the lifesigns detector. "We'll get them out."

Dawn nodded. "I'm with you," she said as she looked at Sheppard. She unholstered the scythe.

Sheppard nodded as he looked at Ford and Willow. "Rig up enough C-4 to blow a hole and then Willow you open a portal and get these people out of here on my signal, all right? Dawn and I can find the Colonel with that," he indicated the lifesigns detector in Dawn's hand. "There aren't that many Wraith around. We should be able to do this. If we're not back in twenty minutes, blow the cells and get out."

Sheppard and Dawn moved down the corridor using the lifesigns detector to guide them.

"No offense but can't you get us even close?" Sheppard asked.

Dawn sighed. "As I told you all back on Atlantis. I have to picture where I am going or to whom," she said as she had a flash of memory and smiled. "I can get us close."

"How?" Sheppard asked skeptical. "A second a go…"

"I had a flash of memory," Dawn said. "You on a balcony overlooking Colonel Sumner and one of the Wraith." She pictured what she had seen in the memory and a portal flashed into existence and they stepped through.

They knelt down and looked through a skylight down into the room below. They saw a Wraith with her back to them, feeding on Sumner, who faced them.

Sheppard fired his weapon and shot the Queen in the back, then killed one of the warrior guards. The Wraith hissed in rage, her fingernails digging into Sumner's chest, drawing blood as she sucked more life from him.

Sheppard and Dawn watched as Sumner aged quickly and the bullet wounds healed on the Wraith's own chest. Sheppard shot the other guard, and then stared in curious horror at Sumner's almost skeletal condition.

"Kill him," Dawn whispered. "It is the only way."

Sumner stared at Sheppard and Dawn, looking extraordinarily old. He made a pleading sound in his throat and nodded to Sheppard.

"We can't save him," Dawn said, and she knew that to be true. It was too late. If she had only remembered all of this before Sumner, Sheppard and their team had left Atlantis. She could have prevented it. She cursed the fact that memories were fleeting once again.

Looking grim, Sheppard raised his rifle. He shifted his aim from the Wraith's head to Sumner's chest and shot him right through the Queen's hand as Sumner fell to the floor, dead.

The Wraith stared at her injured hand in annoyance just as a blue light surrounded Sheppard and Dawn, and they collapsed, stunned into unconsciousness.

"Bring them," the Wraith said.

Moments later Sheppard and Dawn were pinned by their throats on the table's surface by Wraith warriors.

"How's the hand feeling?" Sheppard asked as the bullet hole in her hand healed.

"Much better," the Wraith said as she flexed her hand.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sheppard said.

The Wraith looked to Dawn and frowned as she spotted the life signs detector sticking out of Dawn's vest. "How did this come to you?" she asked.

"We don't remember," Sheppard said.

The Wraith snarled as Ford entered, shooting both her and the guards.

Sheppard rolled, keying his radio as he moved. "Light it up."

Dawn rolled and grabbed the scythe and came up in a fighting stance.

The Wraith screamed in outrage as explosions rocked the building.

In the area around the Wraith cells … "Get back," Willow yelled as she triggered the explosive device that Ford had thrust into her hand blowing a hole in the cell door. She then opened a portal and ushered everyone into it.

In the Wraith dining room the Wraith continued to scream as Ford shot more guards as they arrived.

Dawn twirled the scythe and then thrust the stake end into the Wraith. The Wraith did not dust as she had expected when she pulled the stake end out of the Wraith.

"How'd you find us?" Sheppard asked.

"Lucky guess," Ford said. "Her portal did make it difficult. Sir, let's go."

"Time to leave," Dawn said as she opened a portal.

"You don't know what you have done. We are merely the caretakers for those that sleep. When I die, the others will awaken," the Wraith said as she died. "All of them."

"What's she talking about? How many are left?" Ford asked.

Dawn picked up the life signs detector. Several dots appeared on the display, with more every second. She then looked up at the honeycomb above them. Hundreds of Wraith appeared to be awakening, one in each chamber. "We got to go, now!"

They turned and ran through the portal which exited into the forest in front of the jumper.

Sheppard paused as Willow herded the Athosians into the jumper. He looked up at the sound of Wraith ships approaching. "Start it up!" he said with a look at Dawn.

Dawn nodded and entered the jumper as several Wraith ships fly overhead.

"We have incoming!" Stackhouse and Sheppard said

The moment everyone was onboard Dawn closed the door and the ship lifted off.

"Everybody okay?" Sheppard asked.

"We are well enough," Teyla said.

"Hope that was the hard part," Ford said.

As they entered orbit, they saw several of the small Wraith ships flanking the Spacegate.

"Oh, crap. I don't think we've gotten to the hard part yet," Dawn said.

Teyla approached Dawn, Willow and Sheppard. "What can we do?"

"We're safe as long as they can't see us," Ford said from next to her.

Sheppard sighed. "They don't have to. There's only one way for us to go. The minute we activate the Stargate, they can start shooting blind and blow us away on our approach."

"Then how can we get through?" Ford asked.

Sheppard looked to Dawn and Willow. "Can you?"

"We'll try," Dawn said. "Major, if you would please take over."

Sheppard nodded as he and Ford switched seats with Dawn and Willow.

"Keep them busy for a moment," Willow said as they sat in the main compartment and closed their eyes.

The jumper decloaked and flew away from the Spacegate as several dart ships broke formation and gave chase.

"How long?" Sheppard asked.

His answer was a portal flashing into existence before them.

"Atlantis, do you copy?" Ford said into his radio.

"We read you," came Weir's voice.

"We are coming in hot," Sheppard said. "Can't get to the Stargate, the portal only other option."

"Understood," Weir said. "We're standing by, waiting for your arrival. Have Dawn and Willow close the portal the moment your through."

Just then one of the darts fired at the jumper just as it entered the portal. They exited the portal into the command center of Atlantis and the jumper came to an abrupt halt as the portal closed behind them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Atlantis. Please remain seated till the Puddle Jumper's come to a full and complete stop," Sheppard said as Teyla and Halling exchange relieved smiles.

Later that evening the Athosians and expedition members mingle together in what has been set up as a mess hall.

Ford followed Sheppard to a quieter part of the balcony. "I guess this is home now."

Sheppard glanced toward Dawn and Willow. "For now."

Ford gestured to one of the buildings. "I'm thinking of a little place with an ocean view. Out of the way."

Dawn, Willow and Weir came up behind them.

"Major, Lieutenant, I thought the occasion merited opening this…compliments of General O'Neill," Weir said as she handed glasses to Ford and Sheppard.

Sheppard raised his glass in a toast. "Cheers," he said as they all took a drink. He then set down his glass, looking pensive.

"You did good, John," Weir said.

"I don't know about that," Sheppard said with a sigh as he looked at Dawn.

Dawn let out a sigh and knew the feeling. She too regretted not being able to save Sumner.

"Hey, there was no way either of you could have saved Colonel Sumner," Weir said noting the look on Dawn's face.

"We have to live with it," Dawn said as Sheppard nodded in agreement. "I don't know about Major Sheppard. But I'm a Slayer. I'm supposed to save people not kill them."

"If you hadn't done that," Willow said. "Others might have died."

"Others might still," Dawn said. "The one I killed awakened others. Others that will come for us."

"I'm beginning to think you were right," Sheppard said. "We haven't made us many more friends out there."

"No? Look around you," Weir said as they looked back at the crowd.

"I agree, Major Sheppard," Teyla said as she turned to face them. "Dawn." She approached them and put her hands first on Sheppard's shoulders and then Dawn's, leaning forward with a head bow. Hesitantly, both Dawn and Sheppard bowed as well, repeating the forehead touch. "You both have earned both my friendship and that of my people. With our help, you will make many more friends," She grinned at Weir and walked away.

"One more thing, Major, something I'd like you to sleep on. I have a few thoughts on it myself," Weir said.

"Thoughts about what?" Sheppard asked.

"Who the members of your team might be," Weir said.

"My team?" Sheppard asked.

Weir nodded. "Well, you are the ranking military officer now, or do you need to be reminded of that? We need to get back out there, do what we came to do."

"You realize that could get us into all sorts of…trouble, right?" Sheppard asked as they exchanged wry grins and leaned on the banister.

"I do," Weir said. "Now yours will be the only one designed as such. You will have six people on your team. I want Willow and Dawn both on your team including those you choose." She looked at Willow and Dawn. "I believe you, Dawn. Something I didn't when you first told me about the so called memories. But I do now. With that information, I think we will make more friends than enemies as you can try and make sure that everything turns in our favor."

"Just remember," Dawn said. "That the memories are still fleeting. It will take time for all of them to come back. When I went through this with Buffy and our friends. It took a while for the memories to unlock. But that is where being a seer will come in handy. Major, your hand, please."

Sheppard looked to Weir who nodded as Dawn took his hand and she received a vision.

"I see Teyla on your team. I see Ford and McKay also on your team. I see that one of us will fall by the wayside and will be replaced," Dawn said. "That's all that I see right now."


	2. Chapter 2: Hide and Seek

**Chapter 2: Hide and Seek**

Willow, Weir, Dawn and Grodin walked past as expedition members moved boxes.

"It's desalinizing the seawater and storing it in tanks big enough to supply the whole city," Grodin said.

Weir nodded. "Good, so fresh water won't be a problem."

"It seems some Ancient technology requires the user to have the gene, like myself, Dawn and Major Sheppard," Willow said. "Other things merely require initialization. Once activated, like the control room, anyone can push the buttons to make them work."

Just then they are almost run down by Jinto and two other Athosian boys coming down the stairs they are ascending.

"Good morning, Doctor Weir," Jinto said.

"Morning. Careful!" Weir said bemused. "I think we need to designate some recreational areas…"

"I couldn't agree more," Dawn said. "I know I could use a place to train." Weir looked to her. "Slayers have a lot of energy to burn. Will can attest to the fact that if I don't release it that I grow increasingly restless."

"Yeah," Willow said. "You don't want to see Dawn when she's gone a long time without training."

"We'll get you a space setup soon," Weir said as she looked around her. "And we certainly need to clear the hallways and get everything put away as soon as possible, and can we lose the ten-thousand-year-old dead plants?"

Grodin nodded. "Of course. We're still in the process of making sure everyone's been assigned living quarters. Major Sheppard seems to be taking his time okaying enough space."

"Well, the safety and security of this expedition are his—" Weir said.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Dawn, Willow, Weir and Grodin turned to see Sheppard push McKay off the balcony across from them, down into the Gate Room below.

"Oh, my God," Weir said as Dawn opened a portal beneath McKay.

"No," shouted Sheppard.

Distracted by Sheppard's cry Dawn's portal closed before McKay had fallen into it.

"Did you see that?" Sheppard said pleased.

Weir nodded. "Yes! What the…?"

They looked down to see McKay leaping to his feet, completely unharmed. An object is attached to his chest and glowing green.

"I'm fine," McKay said as he and Sheppard exchanged wide grins. Dawn, Willow, Sheppard, Weir, and Grodin hurried down the steps to meet him. "Look, Beckett's gene therapy worked. I was able to activate this. It's a, uh, personal shield, acts like a, uh, protective skin, and it must have inertial dampening properties, too, because I didn't feel a thing. Watch this." He looked to Grodin. "Hit me."

Grodin tried to punch McKay in the face. A few inches away, his fist struck a green energy field, knocking him back. "Ow! God."

Jinto and his friends laugh while Grodin nursed his hand.

"You didn't have to swing so hard. And notice that he didn't even hesitate!" McKay said.

"I'm still trying to understand how you thought it was a good idea to test this device by having someone throw you off a balcony," Willow said.

"I'm wondering the same thing," Weir said.

"Oh, believe me, that's not the first thing we tried," McKay said.

Sheppard nodded. "I shot him," he said as he shrugged at Weir, Dawn and Willow's looks. "In the leg."

"I'm invulnerable," McKay said elated.

"Aren't you the one who's always spouting off about how proper and careful scientific procedure must be adhered to?" Weir asked.

McKay bounced on the balls of his feet, his good mood not hampered by Weir's lecture. "In-vulner-able."

Weir looked to Dawn and Willow who rolled their eyes. " All right, take it off. Let's go have this meeting."

"You're just jealous," McKay muttered.

"Oh, yes, green with envy," Weir said.

McKay tried to take off the device, but the shield stopped his hand from being able to touch it. "This could be a problem. I can't get at it."

Sheppard tried to remove the device, but he too was repelled as McKay looked at him. "Just checking."

"Dawn? Willow?" Weir said as she looked to Dawn and Willow.

"We'll have to run some tests," Willow said. "I don't want to risk removing it and it somehow harm Rodney."

Later in the infirmary Beckett was wrapping Grodin's hand.

"I'm thinking _Mr. Invincible_," Grodin said as Willow rolled her eyes.

"_Captain Untouchable_," Beckett said.

"Ooh, that's good," Grodin said as he and Beckett laughed.

"Are you guys done?" McKay asked as he scowled at Beckett and Grodin.

Beckett nodded. "I've been working on this gene therapy for months. Forgive me for wanting to celebrate the fact that it worked on the first human trial."

McKay rolled his eyes and waved his hands. "Oh, let's all have a toast," he said sarcastically.

Willow frowned as an idea formed in her head. "Rodney. Have you tried eating or drinking anything since you put that on?"

McKay looked horrified as he tried to drink a cup of coffee. In never reached his mouth as it spilled down the shield. "That's great."

"This may be more serious than I originally thought," Willow said. "I think its time I tried to remove it."

Magical energy began to crackle around Willow as her hair went white. She reached out toward the device and suddenly was thrown backwards with tremendous force. She hit the wall and was knocked unconscious.

"I'm thinking," Grodin said. "That's not good."

Grodin and Beckett rushed over to Willow and put her on a bed.

In the conference room Sheppard and Dawn stood before a schematic of Atlantis.

"We can probably maintain security in this area with the limited number of personnel we have," Sheppard said.

"My people can help," Teyla said.

Weir smiled. "Thank you, Teyla. For the time being, we'll find other ways that the Athosians can contribute."

"You do not trust them?" Dawn asked.

Sheppard looked towards Dawn and shook his head. "It's not that, it's just that we…we need to train them people in our weapons and tactics. Just as we need to train you and Willow."

"First off I and Willow do not need training," Dawn said, "with your weapons. Will and I can use magic. _Kali, Hera, Kronos, Thonic. Air like nectar thick as onyx. Cassiel by your second star, hold mine victim as in tar." _She smiled at Sheppard. "Try moving,"

Sheppard did as asked and tried to move. No matter what he couldn't.

"If you had magic you could release yourself," Dawn said. "By expending a little magical energy to break my spell. Otherwise you have to wait till I release it. _Eximo._"

Sheppard took a step to show he had been released.

"Now, that said. I am also a Slayer," Dawn said as she waved her hand and the scythe appeared in it. "This is my weapon. The weapon of a Slayer. What I am getting at is this. I like Teyla and her people have my own way of doing things that may be as good or in some cases better than yours. Don't dismiss Teyla's offer just because you haven't trained her or her people in your weapons."

Weir nodded. "Dawn does have a point, Major," she said as Sheppard nodded. She looked at Dawn and Teyla. "As does Major Sheppard. My suggestion let us train each other. But till everyone is on equal footing we don't want to spread ourselves to thin. We still have a lot of the city to explore. And once we've done that and everyone is on equal footing then we'll spread out. We're just being cautious here."

"I understand," Teyla said. "And I will inform my people of what you have said."

"Dawn," came Beckett's voice from Dawn's radio.

"Yes," Dawn said as she keyed her radio.

"Can, you come to the infirmary."

"Why?" Dawn asked.

"It's Willow," Beckett said. "We found out that McKay can't eat or drink anything and well she decided to go ahead and try to take it off with magic. She's unconscious."

Dawn looked to Weir who nodded. "On my way," she said as she opened a portal and stepped through it followed by Weir.

"Carson," Weir said.

Beckett nodded as he moved away from Willow toward Weir and Dawn. "Doctor Weir."

"What's her condition?" Weir asked.

"She should be fine," Beckett said. "I think it was more of the jolt to her system. She was thrown back hard."

"And about the device?" Weir asked.

"Grodin and Rodney are going through the Ancient research material that accompanied the shield device, but so far they haven't found anything helpful," Beckett said. "Just so you know, I feel terrible. It's possible this was a result of artificially imposing the gene."

"Well, I have another theory. We know that there is a mental component to using Ancient technology," Weir said.

Beckett sighed. "You don't have to remind me. I experienced it firsthand with that drone weapon back on Earth."

Weir nodded. "Exactly, so don't you think it stands to reason that McKay should be able to shut this thing off with his mind?"

"Are you suggesting he doesn't want to shut it off?" Dawn asked.

"We may be settling in here, but this place — it's still pretty intimidating. I mean, a giant abandoned city full of things way beyond our level of understanding, impending threat of attack from the Wraith…" Weir said.

"No question, it gets bloody creepy here at night," Beckett said.

"So I'm not saying it's conscious, but perhaps subconsciously…" Weir said as she shrugged.

"It kind of makes sense," Dawn said. "Just as I have a harder time accessing my magic when faced with something I fear."

She remembered the first time she had been faced with her fear. In her mind's eye she could see it all again. Glory had gotten her hands on her. Despite that she had known that Buffy would win in the end. She had been afraid that Glory would kill her. Which meant when she had tried to close the portal, the magic just hadn't worked. She hadn't been able to do it.

"It's totally subconscious though," Dawn said. "Consciously he doesn't want to die of dehydration or starvation."

"Agreed," Weir said. "But he's not there yet."

"You think when it comes down to it; the shield will just shut itself down?" Beckett asked.

Weir nodded. "The Ancients were smart enough to build fail-safes into their other technology. I mean, this entire city, it rose from the deep of the ocean when danger was imminent. Why would they design a personal shield that could kill you?"

Just then Dawn had a flash of memory and she smiled.

"Dawn?" Weir said as she noted the smile.

"It will come off," Dawn said. "I'm not seeing how at the moment. But I do see that Rodney is not the one that will fall by the wayside."

Later Dawn sat with Willow and smiled. "You had me scared," she said after Willow had woken up.

"I'm sorry, baby," Willow said. "It's weird though you know. I've never been repelled that badly by something non-magical."

"It's possible that it has some kind of anti-magic enchantment on it," Dawn said. "After all magic to a pure scientific mind is nothing more than energy being manipulated."

"Dawn, report to the control room," Weir said through the radio.

"On my way," Dawn replied as she kissed Willow. "I'll be back."

She made her way to the control room and joined several people around Grodin's station as he demonstrated inputting a password.

"The self-destruct system requires two separate codes," Grodin said. "Now, each code is unique, and everyone here will be required to memorize their code."

"Well, don't bother giving me one," McKay said as Grodin glared at him. "Sorry."

"As far as we know, this is the only Stargate in the Pegasus Galaxy which is capable of dialing Earth …" Weir said, "which would make it the last line of defense against the Wraith. If they're going to attack, which we must consider a very real threat, we simply cannot let them gain control of this complex."

Grodin nodded. "If both codes are properly entered, the naquadah generator will overload. It will take thirty seconds."

"You're sure it will do enough damage?" Ford asked.

"Ever seen a twenty kiloton nuclear explosion?" McKay asked.

Sheppard nodded. "I have," he said as everyone stared at him. "Not up close. Look, I think we should tell Teyla what's going on here."

Weir shook her head. "At this moment, we still don't know if it was one of the Athosians who tipped off your arrival to their planet."

Dawn frowned. "I don't know if one of them did or not. But we do have a little thing on our world, innocent till proven guilty. And you insinuating they did with no proof will not gain us any allies."

"Your point is taken, Dawn," Weir said. "How about we do this, okay? I get to know them first. Tell me would you give access to the ISC to someone bent on destroying Earth?"

"No," Dawn said. "And I do see your point. I'll give you time to get to know them."

Later that night, after Willow had been released from the infirmary, Dawn and Willow lay in their bed, Dawn's arms around Willow. Just then a knock came at the door.

Dawn got out of bed and put on a robe as Willow pulled up the sheet to cover her. "Yes," she said.

"It's Major Sheppard."

Dawn opened the door to find Sheppard standing with Halling. "What is it?"

"Jinto is missing," Halling said. "Major Sheppard said you and your wife might be able to help locate him."

Dawn nodded in understanding. "Come in," she said as Sheppard and Halling walked in. "Give us a moment." She looked toward Willow. "Will."

Willow got out of bed as she made sure the sheet continued to cover her and she and Dawn walked into the bathroom to change. When they walked out they set about setting up a set of candles and lit them.

"What are you doing?" Halling asked.

"It's a guiding spell," Willow said.

"A guiding spell?" Halling asked skepetical.

"Trust them, Halling," Sheppard said. "They know what they're doing."

Dawn and Willow sat in the middle of the circle of candles and held each other's hands as they chanted. "_Aradia, Goddess of the lost. The path is murky, the woods are dense, darkness prevades. I beseech thee... bring the light!_"

Just then a light appeared between Dawn and Willow.

"Take us to Jinto," Dawn said as she and Willow stood up.

The light darted between Halling and Sheppard toward the door as Dawn and Willow followed it.

Sheppard and Halling followed Dawn and Willow out the door as the light led them down corridors.

And then the power went out.

Dawn looked to Willow as both of them stretched out with their magical senses.

"Something has been awakened," Willow said.

"Control room, this is Sheppard. The lights just went out," Sheppard said into his radio.

"Major, we're experiencing some technical malfunctions," Weir replied.

"I'm with Dawn and Willow," Sheppard said. "We were following some sort of light they conjured to find Jinto. Willow said that something has been awakened."

"Awakened?" Weir replied. "Ask her if she can be more specific."

Willow shook her head. "Sorry. All I sense is a presence that was not here this morning. And since no one and nothing has come and gone from Atlantis today. That means it had to be here, asleep."

Sheppard nodded. "Willow said all she can sense is a presence that was not here this morning."

"Major Sheppard, one of the Athosians is claiming to have seen what she's calling a shadow," Weir said after a moment's pause. "Teyla says that she senses no Wraith here, but I'm still concerned."

"All right, all teams fall back to the gate room and wait for further instructions," Sheppard said.

"We can't stop searching," Halling said.

"If there is a threat here, we need to establish a proper perimeter," Sheppard said. "Dawn, Willow if you please."

Dawn and Willow nodded as they extinguished the guiding spell and then opened a portal and they stepped through.

Later Dawn, Willow, Halling, Teyla, Weir, and McKay stood in the control room as Sheppard returned.

"I've secured access to all the control towers and living quarters," he said.

Weir nodded. "Two more Athosians reported seeing the shadows."

"You know, I don't get it," Sheppard said. "If this were the Wraith they would do more then try and scare us. When they decide to come, they're going to start blowing the crap out of this place with their ships."

"The presence I feel is not Wraith," Willow said. "It actually feels to some degree like a spirit.

"Okay," Dawn said. "Something tells me we need to find Jinto. Willow and I will do that."

"I don't like you two going out by yourselves," Weir said.

"We'll be fine," Dawn said. "Willow actually has some experience with spirits."

"Not much," Willow said. "Buffy was actually the one that got James to move on."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "We'll be fine. But if we get into any trouble we will portal back here immediately."

After they had cast the guiding spell again they were walking along the corridors following the light. Suddenly the power went out around them. Magical energy began to crackle around Dawn and Willow as they looked around them and then headed down the darkened corridor. Then they spotted the shadow that the Athosians had seen.

It moved to one side of the corridor, while Willow and Dawn held defensively near the other. The entity passed them and continued down the hall.

"Dawn to Elizabeth," Dawn said into her radio. "Willow and I just spotted the shadow. It's moving toward the power room."

"Alright," Weir replied. "I'll have Major Sheppard head that way. Any luck finding Jinto?"

"None, yet," Dawn said. "We're still following the light."

The light led them to what appeared to be a closet. Dawn looked to Willow who nodded as she slowly opened the door. "Jinto?" she called out with no response.

"Dawn," Willow said. "This isn't a closet."

Dawn looked around as her magical senses felt the faint hum of energy and then at the control panel. She watched as it opened to show a schematic of the city. "I think your right, Will. I think this is some kind of transporter."

"Jinto?" Dawn called out.

"Ms. Rosenberg-Summers?" Jinto said as he peered out from behind a corner.

"You can call me Dawn, Jinto," Dawn said as Jinto ran to them, frightened.

"Jinto, are you okay?" Willow asked.

Jinto nodded. "Yes."

Dawn smiled as she keyed her radio. "We've got Jinto. He's okay," she said as Willow stepped up to a console and activated it. "Will?"

"I believe were in a research lab," Willow said. "We've come across a few of them. These consoles generally access the central computer systems, so Jinto could've caused what we thought were malfunctions from here. Jinto could you tell me what you touched?"

"There," Jinto said as he showed them the objects he had touched.

"Okay," Willow said as she looked over all of them. "The only thing of real consequence I see in here is what looks like some kind of containment jar."

"Do you think he accidentally released the shadow?" Dawn asked.

"It's possible," Willow said as she moved to a device next to the containment jar. "Here is its power source. And like the Jumpers its independent of the rest of the city."

"Elizabeth," Dawn said into her radio. "I think you might want to see this."

"Where are you?" Weir asked.

Dawn opened a portal. "Just follow the portal."

Weir, McKay and Sheppard exited the portal a second later.

"We believe we found the shadows home," Dawn said. "Jinto accidentally released it.

Weir nodded. "We found out it is also the reason for our power failures. It's feeding on our generators."

McKay moved over next to Willow. "If it was captured, it was for observation. The Ancients were researching Ascension."

"Really?" Weir said excited.

"What exactly is _ascension_?" Sheppard asked.

"Simply put," Willow said. "They evolved to a higher state of being."

"Yes," McKay said. "During their evolution, the Ancients reached an advanced stage of being where they were able to rid themselves of their physical bodies and rise to a higher plain of existence, one in which they live as pure energy. We—I know it sounds ridiculous, but this is the first indication there may have been evolutionary intervention to get there."

"A little gene therapy of their own, huh?" Sheppard asked.

"Well, we haven't had a chance read all the notes," Dawn said, "But from what we've seen and what you've told us. It sounds like the shadow is energy, and according to you all it feeds on energy."

"If I'm reading this right," Willow said. "The more it feeds, the more it changes and the more deadly it becomes."

"Is it intelligent?" Weir asked.

McKay looked over the research and then nodded. "Well, according to the research, it … it is sentient, but if you're thinking about trying to talk to it, you'd have more luck with a great white shark. This thing is going to suck the power out of our generators, and then it will kill us all."

"All right. What do we do about it?" Weir asked.

"The entity has been trapped in here since before the Ancients abandoned the city," McKay said.

"I know I'd be pissed," Sheppard said.

Dawn gasped as a memory flooded her mind. Then she looked at the others. "We can get rid of it," she said. "Lure it into the wormhole with a trail of breadcrumbs." She looked to McKay. "Rodney you will be needed for the final phase since you are wearing the shield."

Suddenly the shield powered down and fell off McKay's chest into his hand. They all stared at each other a moment, then McKay rummaged in his pocket for an unopened power bar and took a big bite.

"I had a feeling," Willow said.

"What do you mean? Had a feeling about what? You think I wanted it to come off just now? You think I'm scared? I'm not scared. I'll stay. I'll do this."

"No, that's okay," Sheppard said, remembering McKay had fainted earlier. "You might faint again."

"It—it's just not working anymore," McKay said as he tried to press the device to Sheppard's chest. "Look … see, it doesn't work on you either."

"It's alright," Dawn said. "I'll do it."

Ten minutes later Sheppard and McKay set up a naquadah generator on a MALP. "This is a bad idea," McKay said.

"You said that already," Weir said.

McKay nodded. "Well, it's worth saying again."

"It's coming," Willow called from the balcony.

"An open Stargate is a huge power source," McKay said. "This thing is smart. What makes you think it's going to follow a naquadah generator into the wormhole?"

"I saw it," Dawn said. "Don't worry my memories and visions are seldom wrong. Well they can be but that is when they've altered too much."

McKay closed the lid on the container holding the generator. "Good luck," he said as he ran up the stairs.

"Are you okay?" Weir asked.

Dawn smiled. "As my sister might say, peachy with a side of keen," she said as magical began to crackle around her.

Sheppard and Weir turned and walked upstairs.

"It's almost here," Grodin said.

"Do you have an address?" Weir asked.

Willow nodded. "M4X-337, it's a barren wasteland."

"Dial it," Weir said.

The entity entered the Gate Room. Dawn watched as it approached. She hit the activation for the MALP, sending it on its way as she stepped away. The entity swarmed around the MALP in a black smoke, filling the Gate Room.

"It's not goin' anywhere," McKay said.

"I can't see if the MALP got through," Weir said.

"The entity could have drained the battery," Grodin said.

"It could be feeding off the generator, off the Stargate. I mean, this is a disaster," McKay said angrily.

"Shut it down," Weir said.

"No!" Dawn said as McKay moved toward the Gate controls. "Do not shut it down. _Protégé_!"

A force field snapped into existence around Dawn as she walked toward the MALP and the entity. They watched as the entity tried to swarm her and only hit the force field.

"Dawn!" Weir said.

Inside the entity, Dawn saw particles of electricity reacting to each other as she made her way over to the MALP a few feet from the Stargate. She picked up the container holding the generator and hurled it through the open wormhole as the entity followed.

As the last of the entity's smoke disappeared through the wormhole, the Stargate deactivated. And they saw Dawn smiling at them.

"You did it," Weir said.

Dawn smiled.


	3. Chapter 3: Thirty-Eight Minutes

**Chapter 3: Thirty-Eight Minutes**

Sheppard flew the puddle jumper flew away from the planet toward the space gate. In the rear compartment Dawn lay against the inclined ramp in the rear compartment. A cat-sized, insect-like creature was attached to the right side of her neck.

"Get the damn thing off her," Sheppard said from the pilot's seat.

"We can't," Willow said.

"Cut it off," Sheppard said.

"As soon as we establish a connection, radio back that we've got a medical emergency," McKay said.

"There must be something we can do for Dawn," Teyla said.

"There's an emergency first aid kit behind the pilot's seat," Willow said. "Dawn made sure it was always stocked and ready despite that it was military procedure to have it. Get it. Baby, everything we try to do to remove it just makes the pain worse. Now try and be still."

Dawn nodded as Teyla headed for the cockpit.

"Is there no way to go faster?" Teyla asked.

"We could portal," Sheppard said as he shot a look back at Willow.

"My magic like Dawn's does not work very well under stress or when we're afraid. I can't guarantee the portal would open to Atlantis," Willow said. "Or at all."

Teyla nodded as she returned to Dawn, McKay and Willow with the medical kit just as the jumper's drive pods retracted.

"Atlantis Base, this is Ford," Ford said. "Jumper One is inbound with a medical emergency. Please respond."

_"We hear you Jumper One,"_ Grodin said.

"Dawn is in need of medical assistance the moment we get through the gate," Sheppard said.

"What am I expecting to find in here that's going to get rid of that thing?" McKay asked as he looked through the medkit.

"Something for the pain," Willow said.

McKay shook his head. "I don't think Tylenol's going to do it. She needs a doctor. How much longer?"

"Almost there!" Sheppard said. "Flight, Jumper One on final approach."

_"This is Weir. What's the nature of Dawn's injury?"_

"Some sort of funky alien bug attached itself to her neck. She's completely immobile," Sheppard said.

_"What's it doing to her?"_

"We don't know, but we can't get it off her, and we tried everything," Ford said. "Willow even tried to get it to magically release but it didn't work."

_"You understand the risk of bringing something like that back to Atlantis?"_

"Yes, ma'am, I do, but we really don't have a choice in the matter," Sheppard said.

_"Understood, Major. Good luck."_

Willow glanced forward and saw they were almost to the gate as she turned her attention back to Dawn. "We're almost there."

"It's all automatic from here. Here we go!" Ford said.

The jumper started to enter the wormhole and then suddenly stopped. The rapid deceleration rendered Dawn, Willow, McKay, and Teyla unconscious on the deck.

McKay, Teyla and Willow are the first to wake up. They saw the event horizon between them and the cockpit through the open doorway.

"Oh, no," Willow said.

"What happened?" Teyla asked.

"The drive pod … the wing things that stick out when we're flying must've failed to retract," McKay said. "That's the only thing it can be, it's that, or the Stargate shrank, which I highly doubt. This is a—a big problem."

"What can we do?" Teyla asked.

Willow shook her head. "I don't think there's anything we can do."

"Agreed," McKay said. "This is a very, very big problem." He turned to look at Willow. "Can you open a portal?"

"As I already said," Willow said angrily.

McKay sighed as he looked back toward the event horizon and noticed someone's arm protruding from the event horizon. "Give me a hand," he said as he and Teyla pulled Ford out.

"What the hell was that?" Ford asked. "That's strange."

McKay nodded. "Yes, it is."

"That is the—" Ford said.

"Yes, it is," McKay said.

"That scraping sound … We're stuck," McKay said.

"Yes, we are," Willow bit out angrily. They looked back to see her eyes were solid black.

"Willow," Teyla said. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

Willow blinked and they returned to normal. "They were black weren't they?" she asked as Teyla nodded. "Not all magic is good. Some is very bad. And it can have a visual effect on me when I'm utilizing one or the other. Black eyes, black hair, black veins—evil. White hair, good."

"Okay," Ford said. "That's good to know." He looked back at the event horizon. "Can we pull Sheppard out?"

McKay shook his head. "Our hands and arms would dematerialize as soon as we cross the event horizon. It's uh — there's no way to reach for him."

Just then they heard the bug creature make a noise and turned to Dawn.

"Dawn?" Ford asked.

Willow looked back at her lover and sighed. "She's unconscious, probably rendered that way by the impact."

_"Jumper One, this is Weir, what's your status?"_

"This is Ford. Good to hear your voice," Ford said. "Five of us are still here but Major Sheppard is inside the event horizon."

_"Say again?"_

"Ma'am, Jumper One is lodged in the Stargate," Ford said. "Willow, Teyla, Dr. McKay and myself are in the rear compartment with Dawn. She's in bad shape. Major Sheppard is in the forward section."

_"How did that happen?"_

"Engine pods…" McKay said.

"We think it was one of the engine pods, but there's no way to be sure," Ford said.

"It is the only viable possibility," McKay said.

"If I understand you correctly, you won't be able to access the flight controls," Weir said.

"Yes, Elizabeth, it's an extremely intriguing conundrum, and one that I would love to discuss with you in detail until the Stargate shuts down and this ship is cut in two—" McKay said.

"Rodney, calm down—" McKay said.

"At which point of course—" McKay said.

"Rodney! If I'm going to be any help to you at all, I need to catch up. Lieutenant Ford, back it up for me," Weir said.

"We couldn't I.D the Wraith base of operations from space, like we did the last time we were there…" Ford said. "So we went to the same landing coordinates as before to get a closer look. But it was gone. We searched around a crater that we believe they were at. We believe that what we were in on our first trip was one of their ships and it obviously had left. Then we happened upon a Wraith who started firing at us."

"She hardly meant begin at the beginning," Willow said.

"This is Intel she needs to know," Ford said.

Willow glared at Ford. "And we have less than thirty-eight minutes."

"Hold on," Weir said. "Why thirty-eight minutes?"

"Major Carter told me," Willow said. "That was the maximum amount of time a Stargate can remain opened."

_"Alright, what do you need?"_

"Help," McKay said.

"All right. Let me put Kavanagh, Grodin, and Simpson in a room. See what they come up with," Weir said.

"That's good. And the Czech, the Czech. The Czech whose name I can never remember," McKay said.

_"Dr. Zelenka?"_

"That's him. We'll work it at our end," McKay said.

_"What else?"_

"We'll call you. Thank you," McKay said.

_"One more thing. Willow can you open …"_

"As I already told Aiden, Rodney and Teyla," Willow said. "No. Not right now. Not as long as I am worrying about Dawn."

_"Alright. We'll figure this out, I promise, Willow."_

The bug began to pulse as spots of blood appeared where it was attached to Dawn's neck. She woke up to see Willow looking through the medkit beside her. "Hey, baby. Are you all right?"

Willow nodded. "I'm fine."

"You can't fool me, Willow," Dawn said.

Willow sighed. "We are in a bit of bind," she said as she motioned back toward the event horizon.

"We're stuck aren't we?" Dawn asked.

Willow nodded. "Yes, about half way through the Gate. The cockpit has already crossed through the event horizon. Rodney thinks it was one or both of the drive pods."

McKay turned to look at Willow having caught the conversation. "I don't know whether it was mechanical failure or—"

"It was damaged as we tried to take off," Ford said.

"There's no way of knowing really, but, uh, if you know of some way of manually retracting the mechanism—" McKay said.

"Cockpit, on the left," Dawn said. "Of course problem is, it's demolecularized at the moment. And I hate to say it, there is no way back here."

McKay sighed. "No. I didn't think so. Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll be a foot and a half over there, taking some readings. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves."

Teyla knelt down next to Dawn and Willow. "Can I ask you two something?"

"Sure," Dawn said, happy that Teyla was trying to distract her from the bug attached to her neck.

"How did you two fall in love?"

Willow smiled. "It's a long story. Dawn fell for me before I fell for her. Eighteen years ago, Dawn was just fourteen years old and I was twenty. I was in a relationship with my first girlfriend."

"It was then that I realized I had no interest in the male gender," Dawn said. "As time went on, I began to have feelings, feelings I kept hidden."

"From Willow," Teyla said as Willow and Dawn nodded. "You didn't want to break up her and her girlfriend?"

"No," Dawn said. "Two years later …" She looked at Willow who smiled and nodded. "Willow's girlfriend passed away. I was there for Willow. I comforted her and helped to grieve."

"And in time, I grew to love Dawn," Willow said. "Then two years later she and I finally consummated our relationship and got married."

As Willow, Dawn and Teyla talked, McKay a worked on a laptop connected to the ship. He jumped up and pushed a button on the panel behind Ford. The bulkhead door closed, leaving the cabin in darkness as the event horizon was covered.

"What are you doing?" Ford asked.

"Sorry," McKay said as he turned on a flashlight. "Here."

_"Jumper One, this is Atlantis."_

"We're still here," Willow said.

"We recommend closing the bulkhead door," Grodin said.

"Already done," Willow said. "Rodney thought of it about five seconds ago."

_"Good. We're still working on the problem. We'll get back to you. Atlantis base out."_

"Thanks for calling!" McKay said. "Anybody else claustrophobic, or is it just me?"

"Why'd you close the door?" Ford asked.

"So that when the Stargate shuts down and the forward section is severed, we're not directly exposed to space," McKay said.

"Will it hold?" Ford asked.

"Like a screen door on a submarine," McKay said. "I just prefer apoxia to explosive decompression. It's a personal thing."

"Wouldn't the bulkhead being closed slow our loss oxygen?" Willow asked. "Long enough for another Jumper to be sent?"

"Maybe," McKay said. "But even if they could there is likely no way for us to get to it, short one of yours or Dawn's portals."

"Let's not give up on John just yet," Dawn said. "I saw him still leading this team long after this event. So there must be a way, we just have to find it."

"I'm sorry, Dawn. I'm—I react to certain doom a certain way," McKay said. "It's a bad habit, and … maybe there's a way to manually retract the mechanism."

"Yeah. Maybe there is," Dawn said.

"Here," Teyla said as she put her jacket under Dawn's head. "You seem stronger."

Dawn glanced at Willow and debated if she should tell them that her body feels mostly numb. She didn't want Willow to worry more. But at the same time any information they could pass on to Atlantis might be able to help her. "No, it's just the pain's not so bad now."

"That's good," Willow said she smiled.

Dawn shook her head. "No, it isn't, baby. I can't feel my legs. My hands and arms are numb. I can barely move them, and the feeling's creeping up."

Willow's smile disappeared as she got what Dawn was saying. If they couldn't get the creature of her neck she would likely die and soon. She looked to Ford. "Lieutenant … Aiden, try cutting it off, please."

"The last time, we almost killed Dawn," Teyla said.

"You don't know what that would mean," Willow said. "To lose her …" She looked at Dawn. "I can't lose you."

Ford sighed. "Willow, remember we tried everything to get it off Dawn back on the planet. Nothing worked. Everything we did just hurt her more. The thing just heals itself."

Teyla nodded as she looked to Dawn. "It feeds on your strength. Like a Wraith."

Dawn sighed. "You had to say that."

"My father often told stories of creatures such as this," Teyla said. "I always thought he was just trying to keep the children from straying far from our camp."

"Did he tell you how to kill it?" Willow asked.

"I'm not sure we can, Willow," Ford said.

"Let's get a second opinion," Willow said. "Get Carson, maybe he can think of a way we haven't tried."

Ford nodded and radioed Atlantis asking for Beckett.

Moments later Beckett radioed back. _"This is Dr. Beckett. How's our patient?"_

"This is Ford. Dawn's conscious, but the creature's still latched onto her," Ford said.

"How do you feel about house calls, Doc?" Dawn joked.

"Would if I could, Dawn. I'm assuming …"

"I haven't tried," Dawn said. "And Willow's a tad bit emotional for it to work properly."

_"Alright,"_ Beckett said. _"I'm told you have something of a cling-on."_

"That's funny," Dawn said with a laugh. "But in essence you would be correct."

"How did it attach itself?" Beckett asked.

"Well, we were on our way back to the jumper with the Wraith shooting at us," Dawn said. "I told John to get the Jumper ready while Aiden, Willow and I covered his, Rodney and Teyla's backside. Willow opened a portal and they ran into it. I went to open a portal for Aiden, Willow and I when we heard the Jumper's engines coming online. That's when a Wraith fired at me. I dove out of the way straight into a spider web with the bug at its center."

_"Can you describe it to me?"_

Ford nodded. "Yes, sir. It's about two feet in length, including the tail. That's wrapped down under Dawn's armpit. It's got two sharp, spiny things in her neck near her carotid artery."

_"I'll need more than that, son."_

"It's forelegs—I guess you'd call them that—they're wrapped around Dawn's throat. Uh, I can't see any eyes … It's got a real hard shell, but there's a soft, leechy part underneath," Ford said.

_"Dawn, what are your physical symptoms?"_

"Well, at first, it felt like a knife in the eye," Dawn said. "Since then, I've lost all the feelings in my extremities. I can't move."

_"So it incapacitates first with pain, then paralysis."_

"I need to be able to move around to help McKay with the mechanical problem," Dawn said. "John is dead if I don't."

_"What have you tried?"_ Beckett asked.

"I tried to cut it off. I tried burn it off, Willow tried to magic it off," Ford said. "I even tried to shoot it off—nine mil point-blank. Not much worse I can do without killing Dawn along with it, and having one mad witch out for my blood."

"I believe the creature is related in some way to the Wraith," Teyla said.

"Really?" Willow asked. "How so?"

"It healed itself after each attempt to remove it, by sapping life from Dawn, just as a Wraith would," Teyla said.

"I suppose the Wraith had to evolve from something," McKay said. "It's probably some sort of, uh, prehistoric cousin."

"Listen, Doc, Dawn's getting worse. We gotta do something right now," Ford said.

_"You said the creature had an underside of exposed soft tissue, like a leech?" _

Ford nodded. "Yeah, I tried to cut into it. The thing practically strangled her to death."

_"Son, you don't cut leeches off. You pour salt on them,"_ Beckett said. _"All right we've got everything from the jumper manifest already laid out here. What's your personal inventory?"_

"Okay, from the vests, we've got a Swiss Army knife, some chocolate, some water, matches, emergency kit. We have alcohol, iodine, painkillers …" Ford said.

"What's this?" Teyla asked as she pointed towards a portable defibrillator.

"Teyla found a portable defibrillator in the ship stores," Ford said.

"Already thought of that. Dawn would receive the same electric shock. It would likely kill her.

"And we would have one mad witch on our hands, right," Ford said.

"Mad would be the half of it," Willow said. "My girlfriend before Dawn was killed. I tried to end the world. Suffice to say everyone would very likely die horribly."

"Right," Ford said. "So we need to keep Dawn alive."

_"Try everything, one item at a time,"_ Beckett said.

_"Jumper One, this is Weir. Dr. Zelenka's come up with something."_ Weir said over the radio.

"Zelenka. Why can I never remember that name?" McKay asked.

_"He's positively identified the control systems in the port side of the jumper that retract the drive pod," _Grodin said. _"I'm relaying the schematics to your data-pad."_

"Thank you. Now we're getting somewhere," McKay said.

_"What?"_

"Zelenka's identified the control pathways to the engine pod, which means that's increasing my chances of fixing this from one in a million to one in a thousand but, uh … it's something. Elizabeth?" McKay said.

_"Yes?" _Weir said.

"I'll only have seven to nine seconds to warn you if I accidentally trigger a catastrophic overload, so if I tell you to raise the shields … don't hesitate," McKay said.

"We're aware of the risk, Rodney. Do your best."

While Rodney talked to Weir and Grodin. Ford continued to talk to Beckett as he tried different substances on the bug.

"We're starting with iodine," Ford said as nothing happened. "Scratch iodine."

_"What else have you got there?"_ Beckett asked.

"Yes, what have you got there?" McKay asked. "Any food?"

"You're kidding," Willow said.

"I have less than twenty minutes to save our lives, and I am teetering on the brink of a hypoglycemic reaction, so …" McKay said.

Willow nodded to Ford, who threw McKay a power bar.

"Thank you," McKay said as he took a bite and returned to working on the drive pods.

Teyla handed Ford a bottle of alcohol. "Here."

"We're going to try alcohol now," Ford said.

_"Place a few drops on the soft tissue to see how it reacts."_

Dawn looked to Willow and smiled. "Remember when Buffy had her first taste of beer?"

Willow nodded. "CaveSlayer," she said with a laugh. "Parker sure got what was coming to him."

Ford put a couple drops of the alcohol on the bug and again nothing happened. "No reaction to alcohol."

_"Right. What next?" _Beckett asked.

"Did the doctor not say to pour salt on the creature?" Teyla asked.

"I think that was a metaphor," McKay said. "But it doesn't matter. Just try everything."

Ford poured salt on the creature. It doesn't react. "Water. Give me water," he said as a bottle of war was handed to him. He poured water on top of where he dropped the salt. After a moment, the creature ballooned up and sank its legs and pincers deeper into Dawn's throat.

Dawn began to yell out in shock and pain.

"Dawn. Baby, are you all right? Dawn?" Willow asked with concern.

Dawn screamed louder.

"Dawn, are you all right?" Willow asked. "Dawn! What's happening?"

Dawn shoved Willow away with great strength, sending her crashing into the wall of the ship. The surprise made Rodney touch something on the control crystals, and they heard something happen with the drive pods.

_"What's happening?" _Weir asked.

Dawn trembled in pain as Will stood up.

"It reacted to either the salt or the water," Ford said.

_"Or a combination of both. Did it loosen its hold on Dawn?"_ Beckett asked.

Ford shook his head. "Negative," he said as Willow made her way back beside Dawn.

"If anything, it dug in more," Teyla said.

"Please don't do that again," Dawn said.

"I won't, Dawn," For said. "I'm sorry."

"I know," Dawn said.

_"Most likely a primitive defensive reflex to salt water," _Beckett said.

"We moved," McKay said. "When you fell, Willow, I must've crossed one of the circuits. I think the engine fired for a microsecond, but it stopped. Oh, no."

Everyone followed McKay's gaze and saw that the rear compartment had been breached and that the event horizon was partially visible through a hole in the floor.

"Elizabeth," Willow said. "The rear compartment is now breached. We can see the event horizon through a hold in the floor."

"I think I can still retract the drive pod in time," Rodney said.

_"Understood. We haven't come up with anything yet, but there's still time,"_ Weir said.

Ford nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

_"How is Dawn?"_

"I'm still here," Dawn said grimacing in pain.

_"Hang in there, Dawn. We're working on the problem."_

"I know you are. Listen, uh … I'd like to say something while I still can," Dawn said.

_"Don't!"_ Weir said. _"You're going to get through this."_

"I'm not so sure about that," Dawn said. "Remember one of us will fall by the wayside. My visions and memories are rarely every wrong. Who knows maybe it will be me. Anyways I want you to do me a favor. Should I not make it. When you find a way to contact Earth. Tell Buffy I love her and I'm sorry that I can't keep my promise to Joyce."

_"Who's Joyce?"_ Weir asked.

"Our niece," Willow said. "Buffy and Faith's daughter. Just before we dialed Atlantis from Earth. Dawn told Buffy to let Joyce know that we'd be seeing her soon."

_"I promise. In fact if we can eventually dial Earth I would be more than happy to tell them in person. Let's hope I don't have to be the bearer of bad news the first time I see them."_

"Agreed," Dawn said.

"We should send Dawn through the event horizon," Ford said. "If Dr. McKay figures it out in time we can fix Dawn up on the other side. If he doesn't, we're all dead anyway."

"No pressure," McKay said.

_"Dawn would effectively be in suspended animation for the entire time,"_ Grodin said.

_"We can't risk that," _Beckett said.

"Why not?" Willow asked.

_"If the creature reacted that violently to a few drops of water, who knows how it would react to Stargate travel?"_ Beckett said.

_"You're telling me Dawn can't come through the gate while that thing is on her?"_ Weir asked.

"Then we must do something now," Willow said.

"I have to agree with Willow," Teyla said.

"Hit me with the defibrillator," Dawn said.

_ "You may be on to something, Dawn!" _Beckett said.

"No!" Willow said. "You said that might kill her."

"Baby," Dawn said. "That's the idea. It would stop feeding if I'm dead and it would release me. Then once its off they'll shock me again and restart my heart."

_"You can give that a try,"_ Beckett said. _"If it doesn't work, send her through the event horizon. She'll keep there as good as a deep freeze."_

_"Dawn, are you sure you want to do this?"_ Weir asked.

"I'm sure," Dawn said.

_"Lieutenant Ford, do you know how to do this?"_ Beckett asked.

Ford nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Let me," Willow said. "Just show me what to do."

Ford nodded and showed Willow what exactly to do as she took out the defibrillator. "Cut her shirt open."

"What?" Teyla asked.

"Cut her shirt open!" Ford repeated.

Teyla took a pair of scissors from the med-kit and cut Dawn's tee-shirt up the middle, exposing her bra.

"Charging to two hundred," Ford said.

_"Place the lubrication right on the paddles,"_ Beckett said as Ford put the lubrication on the paddles for Willow.

"Ready to go," Willow said.

"Once the bug falls off, I'm going to have to kill it," Ford said. "Willow, you wait for it to charge up again, and then you'll give Dawn another jolt. McKay, if we can't restart her heart on the first try we're going to need the bulkhead door open again."

"Done," McKay said as he opened the bulkhead door.

"One of us is going to have to get her through," Ford said.

"I'll do it," Willow said as Ford nodded. She placed the paddles on Dawn's chest. She hesitated not truly wanting to kill her beloved.

"You can do this, Will," Dawn said.

Willow nodded and kissed Dawn's forehead. She then pressed the buttons and shocked

Dawn convulsed for a second before settling back, unmoving.

Ford put his fingers to Dawn's neck. "No pulse!"

Teyla tried to pull on the creature but it won't release. "It won't come off."

_"Settle,"_ Beckett said. _"It may take a moment."_

_"Lieutenant?"_ Weir said.

Teyla pulled on the creature again and this time it detached. She tossed it onto the bench as Ford shot it several times with his pistol.

The creature lay still as thick fluid seeped out of its wounds. Teyla wrapped the creature in her jacket.

Willow prepared the paddles again and then proceeded to shock Dawn again.

Ford checks Dawn for a pulse and found none.

"Nothing?" Teyla asked.

Ford looked to Willow and then shook his head. "Nothing! Let's get her through!"

McKay and Ford lift Dawn and put her into Willow's arms.

"Got her?" Ford asked.

Willow nodded. "Yes," she said as tears flowed down her face. She then walked into the wormhole.

Somewhere … Willow looked around and noted that she looked to be in the gate room of Atlantis. But no one else was there. "Dr. Weir? Dawn? Major Sheppard?"

"They are not here."

Willow turned to see Dawn coming down the stairs, or at least someone that looked remarkably like her. "Who are you? And where are we?"

"From your point of view we are outside time. While inside the event horizon, time does not flow."

"And you?" Willow asked.

"I am Inanna."

"The one who created the Key?" Willow asked.

"Your research is wrong, beloved. I did not create the Key. I am the Key," Inanna said. "I am a child of the Ancients."

"The Ancients created the Key?" Willow asked.

"I was created by them, yes. I was created when the Stargates were. I was made flesh in the image of the Ancients, with the knowledge needed to control the portal."

"Between dimensions," Willow said.

"Yes. And with time like the Others, I too ascended. Then came Glorificus and the Others feared that she would get ahold of me."

"And you descended," Willow said.

"Yes," Inanna said. "The Order of Dagon found me with no memory of whom I was."

"But somehow they knew," Willow said as Inanna nodded. "They knew you were the Key and sent you to Buffy."

"Yes," Inanna said.

"And that was when things changed," Willow said.

"Yes," Inanna said and she smiled. "Dawn is very lucky. She has just this side of forever to be loved by you. I never felt love. I was not created to love, only to control the Key."

"Just this side of forever?" Willow asked curiously.

"Yes," Inanna said. "You and Dawn are immortal. The Key has made you both so. You both are on the path to ascension. Just as Buffy and Faith are."

"Buffy and Faith?" Willow asked.

Inanna smiled. "Yours and Dawn's spell made them so that they too are immortal. And as a result Joyce is as well as your children will be also," she said. She then looked around and nodded. "Rodney and Aiden have succeeded. In a moment you will come through the Stargate, Remember this but tell Dawn none of it."

"So that we can live our lives," Willow said. "Without worry about what may happen."

"Yes," Inanna said.

In the Atlantis Gate Room the jumper came through the gate just before it shut down and then ascended into the jumper bay.

Dawn lay on the deck as Beckett rushed into the jumper and used the defibrillator on her.

"Again!" he said.

In the aft compartment, Ford was placed on a gurney and given oxygen as Weir arrived.

"He's going to be fine," McKay said as Weir clasped Ford's hand, before he was wheeled out.

Weir and McKay move forward to stand next to Teyla and Willow. They watched as Beckett continued to work on Dawn, who was flatlined. but his heart is still flatlining on the monitor. Weir and Teyla exchanged nods as Beckett shocked Dawn again.

"Well done, Rodney," Weir said.

McKay sighed. "We'll see."

"We've got a pulse," Beckett said as Willow let out a sigh of relief. "Getting stronger." He took off his stethoscope and listened to Dawn's chest by ear. "She's going to be okay."

Willow sat on the bench suddenly. "Thank goddess," she said.

Later that night Dawn was awake and smiling at Willow had just finished changing her bandages. They both looked up as Weir, McKay, Ford, Sheppard and Teyla walked into the infirmary.

"How are you feeling?" Weir asked.

Dawn smiled. "Starving."

Willow nodded. "Dawn's got quite the hickey, but Carson says she'll be fine in a day or two. Her Slayer healing is greatly shortening the time. Carson keeps remarking how he's never seen anything like it."

"We should let you both rest," Teyla said.

"No, you should get me food," Dawn said as Willow laughed.

"I think we can arrange that," Weir said.

Sheppard smiled. "Welcome back, Dawn," he said as he, Teyla, McKay and Ford left.

"I'm glad I don't have to tell Buffy and your niece that you died," Weir said. "But I do look forward to meeting the one day."

"And I look forward to introducing them to you," Dawn said.


	4. Chapter 4: Suspicion

**Chapter 4: Suspicion**

Dawn, Willow, Sheppard and Ford watched as McKay put his right foot on the table and started massaging his foot.

"Could you please not do that here?" Sheppard asked with a look of askance.

"My foot is still numb, if you'll excuse me," McKay said.

"At least your mouth still works fine," Sheppard said just as Weir and Bates entered.

"Oh, good," Weir said to Bates before turning to the others. "All right, let's get started."

The doors sealed shut as Weir and Bates took their seats.

"Shouldn't we wait for Teyla?" Ford asked looking around.

"Teyla wasn't invited," Weir said.

"She's a member of our team," Dawn said.

"She's also an Athosian, Dr. Rosenberg-Summers," Bates said.

"So?" Sheppard, Dawn and Willow said simulataneously.

"If we've been compromised, and every indication suggests that we have, it's almost certain that one of them is responsible."

"We're talking about Teyla," Sheppard said.

"I don't like it either, Major," Weir replied.

"Good, then get her on in here—" Sheppard said trying to talk over Weir.

"… But the safety of this base and its personnel are my main concern right now, as it should be yours, Major and yours, Dawn."

"Why Dawn's?" Willow wondered.

"Because she is the only Slayer in this galaxy on this expedition. That in essence gives you certain military rights, Dawn," Sheppard said. "Really you should be leading your own team."

"We can discuss Dawn's leading a team and any military rights she may be afforded later. Right now," Weir continued, "the Wraith have shown up on five of the last nine planets your team has visited, and given the fact that two of those worlds were unpopulated, we can pretty much assume that they're being alerted to your missions by someone on this base."

While they all talked Dawn was in the midst of a vision. No one noticed till Willow spoke up, "Dawn?"

"The Athosians are safe," Dawn said.

"How can you be sure?" Weir asked.

"It is all John's fault. John remember the childhood necklace Teyla had lost that you had found for her?"

"Yeah," Sheppard said,

"It has some kind of tracking device that was activated by the Ancient gene in your blood," Dawn said. "It's been telling the Wraith where we are."

"Then we will leave you to deal with that, Dawn," Weir said. "Willow, you seem to be the most friendly with the Athosians. I'd like to meet with every Athosian on this base. I mean, they've been here three months. I only know a handful of them by name."

"I can do that," Willow agreed.

"Till then," Bates said. "We should tighten security around certain critical areas."

"Agreed," Weir said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Outside the Gate Room Teyla headed up to the control room, only to be stopped by two guards stationed half-way up the stairwell.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. You can't come up," one of the guards said.

"I'm on my way to see Dr. Weir," Teyla replied.

"That area is off-limits."

"Since when?" Teyla asked as Dawn jogged over to her.

"I believe there's been some sort of misunderstanding," Teyla said as she spotted Sheppard, McKay and Ford furtively heading across to the control room. "I … was unaware a meeting had been called."

Dawn sighed. "Let's take a walk."

Moments later Dawn and Teyla stood on one of the many balconies overlooking the ocean.

"What is happening?"

"I am doing what I can, Teyla," Dawn said. "Your people are part of this expedition, now." She sighed. "Till Weir gets to know them their security protocols dictate access be restricted to crucial areas. I don't agree with the policy. But I am a civilian and don't really have any say."

"What brought this on?"

"Your necklace, the one John found on Athosia, that you thought you had lost since childhood."

"My necklace?" Teyla said as she glanced down at the aforementioned item.

"It has some sort of tracking device embedded in it," Dawn said. "It's leading the Wraith straight to us, offworld."

"How do you know?" Teyla wondered.

"I had a vision, I saw what was causing them to be at every single planet we've been too. It explains why they still had troops on the planet when the bug attached itself to me, long after they had left. Because your necklace is telling them where we go."

Teyla let out a sigh as she took off the necklace and handed it to Dawn.

Dawn looked to Teyla and sighed. What she said next would not be easy. "Now, you should tell your people that Weir wants to get to know them."

"Surely she doesn't suspect …" Teyla started.

"I told her about the necklace," Dawn interrupted. "She shouldn't suspect, she just wants to get to know them. Willow, will make sure that is all it is. She'll make sure there is no insinuations that any other Athosian has a device like yours or is giving the Wraith information. If she does, I have a solution. Later today after they fix the bay doors in the jumper bay. John will take out a Jumper and find an island. I will portal each and every Athosian there myself, if worse comes to worse. I promise."

"I will broach the subject with my people," Teyla said. "Even if Weir doesn't suspect, they may be willing to relocate to the mainland as a way of helping everyone to survive. Without fresh food, your rations will run out in time, correct?"

"You are right of course," Dawn said. "With the Athosians taking up the available rations, we have gone down from a year or two, to six months to a year at least."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later that afternoon Dawn, Willow and Teyla stood before her fellow Athosians. "This will garner good will between us and our friends, as well as increase the amount food for everyone. Dawn, here told me that their rations have been cut in half. Without access to our trading partners we must be able to grow food not just for ourselves but everyone in Atlantis. The mainland will provide us the ability to do this."

"How will we get back and forth to Atlantis?" Halling asked.

"Willow or I will portal anyone coming or going from the mainland," Dawn said. "There is also the Jumpers, they will be able haul your crops that you share with us back and forth as well as ferry yourselves."

Each of the Athosians agreed and soon Dawn, Willow and Teyla were standing in front of Weir.

"I just found out about the mainland from Major Sheppard," Weir said. "How long did you know about it, Dawn?"

"A few hours," Dawn replied. "We needed to foster good will on both sides. Your interviews would not have done that, regardless of the safeguards Willow would have requested. I'm sorry I didn't mention it to you. But with our food being depleted every single day, we needed another alternative. As long as they can still be useful, they are more than willing to share whatever crops they grow."

"And you agreed to this?" Weir asked Teyla.

"We did," Teyla said with a nod. "In fact Dawn and Willow have already portal the majority of my people to the mainland."

Dawn then handed the necklace to Weir. "This is what is transmitting our location to the Wraith," she said."

"Something that size," Willow added, "wouldn't have the range to single the Wraith. I believe there are relays either on the planets or in orbit that pick up the necklaces signal and transmit it to the nearest Wraith ship."

"Teyla, you had no idea she was giving away your position?" Weir asked.

Teyla shook her head. "No, the locket was a gift from my father. I had lost when I was a kid. John found it and gave it back to me."

"We believe," Dawn said, "that the ancient gene in John's blood activated it accidentally. It lay dormant all during her childhood up till she lost it."

Weir nodded. "As far as the Wraith are concerned, you are just another human being. They would have no special interest in tracking you." She looked to Dawn and Willow. "Now, Major Sheppard, and the two of you on the other hand have the Ancient gene. With the two of you having the strongest concentration of the gene."

"Exactly," Willow agreed. "Now, at one point, the Wraith and the Ancients were at war. The Wraith created a transmission device to detect Ancients."

"And one of Teyla's people somewhere in her past thought this would make a nice necklace," Dawn said. "Maybe even her father. And since they don't have the gene, it wouldn't activate for them and so remained dormant. But it is active now and I know how we can use it to our advantage, and capture a Wraith."

"And how do we do that?" Weir wondered.

"The last planet we visited was inaccessible by ship," Willow said. "And the ruins around the Stargate should force the Wraith to come through on foot. Then we use one of these …" She held up a stun grenade. "This is a stun grenade. Aiden told me Its filled with a mixture of aluminum and potassium perchlorate that, when ignited, produces a high-pressure wave that will overwhelm the intended target with intense light and sound to incapacitate them. If used in conjunction with a taser it could temporarily paralyze the Wraith.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Sheppard, Teyla, Dawn, Willow, Ford and McKay lay in wait on a planet for the Wraith to come through the Stargate.

"Major, this is Ford," Ford said over his radio.

"What have you got, Lieutenant?" Sheppard radioed back as he glanced at Dawn. They had set up in teams of two. Rodney and Teyla, He and Dawn and Ford with Willow.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Willow sat cross legged her eyes closed as magical energy crackled around her as Ford glanced at her. "Willow says four just came through the gate."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Sheppard looked to Dawn. She nodded. "He's right," she said as she unsheathed the scythe. "My Slayer senses are tingling."

"All right, then we go as planned," Sheppard replied.

"Yes, sir," Ford agreed.

In the clearing, the lead Wraith bent down and picked up the pendant lying on the ground. He airily looked around.

"Teyla …" Sheppard said quietly as he peeked around the other side of the wall to see Teyla's position. He gave her a hand signal, and she nodded in acknowledgement, hitting the detonator on the explosives. Caught by surprise, the Wraith are trying to get away from this attack when Dawn portaled in front of them and quickly removed the head of one of the Wraith while Teyla and Ford shoot their targets and soon three Wraith lay out Dawn and the leader's feet, dead.

Dawn spun to see the fourth Wraith running towards the Stargate. "Kali, Hera, Kronos, Thonic. Air like nectar thick as onyx. Cassiel by your second star, hold mine victim as in tar," she said as the Wraith froze where he was. "Hurry, I can't hold him forever."

Willow ran up beside Dawn and fired her Taser and he dropped to the ground.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Back on Atlantis Dawn paced around the outside of the cell composed of horizontal thick shelves as bars and an invisible energy shield. The Wraith stoof in the center of the cell.

"Again?" the Wraith asked. "Your kind is persistent. I would have thought you'd have given up by now."

Dawn smiled. "Well I've got all the time in the world. Now, you, on the other hand…"

The Wraith stalked toward Dawn and tried to grab her, but is repelled by the energy shield.

"The Ancients were pretty good at shields and stuff like that, weren't they?" Dawn asked as the Wraith grunted. "I give you a week … Maybe two, tops."

"You waste your time. I will provide you with no information," the Wraith said.

"I wonder what will hurt more," Dawn said as she twirled the scythe. "My chopping of your hand or the hunger … because I'd love to help out, but how did Rodney put it? We can't meet your dietary requirements."

"When I'm free, you'll be the first that I feed upon."

Dawn smiled as she turned and opened a portal.

The Wraith looked at Dawn and the portal his eyes wide. "You are an Ancient," he said.

Dawn looked at the Wraith her eyes as wide as his. "What?"


End file.
